Tables having positions of use and nonuse

ABSTRACT

A table which has movable and stationary components coacting to provide for the table a position of use and a position of nonuse. The table includes a tabletop made up of a plurality of these components which closely surround each other and are located in a common plane when in the position of use. These components include an inner stationary section of the tabletop and a plurality of endless components one surrounding the other and including an inner endless component which directly surrounds the stationary inner section. A plurality of pivots interconnect the several components one with the next for swinging movement with respect to each other about predetermined axes for situating the several components in different planes, respectively, when the tabletop has a position of nonuse.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Edith Brown Eisenberg 48 Brower Ave., Woodmere, N.Y. 11598 [21] Appl. No. 859,038 [22] Filed Sept. 18, 1969 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 [54] TABLES HAVING POSITIONS OF USE AND NONUSE 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 108/3, 108/6, 108/59, 108/1 12, 108/161, D33/l4 [51] Int. Cl .1 A47f5/l2, A47b 3/00 [50] Field of Search 108/65, 66, 112,104,150, 3, 6, 50, 161; 248/184; 33/226 (Z); D33/ 14 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 811,209 1 1906 Farrell 108/66 1,167,461 l/l9l6 Wilson 1,308,350 7/1919 Gay ABSTRACT: A table which has movable and stationary components coacting to provide for the table a position of use and a position of nonuse. The table includes a tabletop made up of a plurality of these components which closely surround each other and are located in a common plane when in the position of use. These components include an inner stationary section of the tabletop and a plurality of endless components one surrounding the other and including an inner endless component which directly surrounds the stationary inner section. A plurality of pivots interconnect the several components one with the next for swinging movement with respect to each other about predetermined axes for situating the several components in different planes, respectively, when the tabletop has a position of nonuse.

'PAT'ENTEU was IQYI SHEEI 1 [IF 2 F/Gb2 INVIa'N'I'UH. EDITH BROWN EISENBERG 7 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tables.

As is well known, tables are provided at their tops with flat upwardly directed surfaces which are available when the table is to be used. However, certain problems are encountered with such conventional tables when they are not used. Thus, a conventional table when it is not used provides an unobstructed upper surface on which any articles can be deposited. Thus, if in a given home such a table is adjacent the path along which the occupants move when entering into or leaving the home, a free unobstructed tabletop will inevitably form a depository for hats, coats, books, packages, etc. Thus, when it is desired to make use of such a table it is necessary first to clear away all of the articles which have been deposited on the table. This is a considerable problem in many homes and other establishments where it is desired to maintain a table available for use but where it is first necessary to clear away the articles which have been deposited on the table prior to use thereof. Not only is there considerable inconvenience in the requirement of first clearing away the articles which have been deposited on the table, but in addition the deposition of random articles on such a table detracts from the appearance of the area where the table is located.

Also, it is highly desirable in many homes to be able to have an article of sculpture. Such articles of sculpture greatly enhance the atmosphere of the home. However, many homes and apartments do not havea space which is sufficiently great to accommodate a three-dimensional decorative article of sculpture. Such articles require a proper setting so that they will appear to their best advantage, and at the present time because of limited space it simply is not possible for articles of sculpture to be included in a room.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a table which will avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a table which has a construction reliably preventing deposition of articles on the table when the table is not used.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a table which has a perfectly flat tabletop when the table is used and which at the same time can .assume a position preventing deposition of articles on the table when the table is not used.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a table which can also function as an article'of sculpture. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to,provide a table which, when it is in its position of nonuse, forms a threedimensional article of sculpture which will have a proper setting and can be accommodated without difficulty even in the most limited areas because the article can also function a table. Therefore, among-the objects of the present invention also is the provision ofa table which is highly decorative when in its position ofnonuse.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a table which can accomplish the above objects while at the same time being made of simple inexpensive components which operate very reliably to achieve the desired results.

According to the invention, the table includes a table top made ofa plurality of components which closely surround one another when these components are in a common plane providing the tabletop with its position of use. These components include an inner stationary section and a plurality of endless components surrounding one another and the stationary section when the tabletop is in its position of use. A plurality of pivot means interconnect the several components one with the next to support them for swinging movement one with respect to the other about predetermined pivot axes which will situate the several components respectively in different planes providing the tabletop with its position of nonuse where articles cannot be deposited on the table and where at the same time the table provides an exceedingly decorative appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of the table of the invention shown in its position of nonuse;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the table in a position of use;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the table of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4-7 are respectively fragmentary sectional elevations taken along lines 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, and 7-7 of FIG. 3 and illustrating details of pivot means in the case of FIGS. 4, 6, and 7 and detents in the case of FIGS. 5 and 6.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, where the tablelO of the invention is illustrated in its position of use, it will be seen that the table 10 includes a tabletop 12 made upin the illustrated ex ample of components 14, 16,18, and 20, as shown particularly in FIG. 3. These components of the tabletop 12 closely surround one another and are located in a common plane when in the position of use shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The components of the tabletop 12 include the inner section 14 which is circular in the illustrated example. This inner section 14 of the table top 12 is stationary and is fixedly carried by the top end region of a support means 22 in the form of a column of individual plates or fins which may be made of wood, metal, or any other substantially rigid material. These plates which form the column 22 are fixed to each other at their inner vertical edges in any suitable way with these edges being tapered as indicated in the top-plan view of FIG. 3. Thus in the case of wooden plates they may be beveled and glued to each other at their inner edges so that the several plates radiate out from a cornmon central vertical axis in the manner most clearly apparent from FIG. 3. However, metal plates forming the support means 22 may also be fixed to each other in any suitable way, such metal preferably being aluminum or any other decorative preferably light metal.

The several plates or fins which form the supporting column 22 each has at its upper end an outwardly directed portion 23 which extends beneath and engages the lower surface of the section 14 and is fixed thereto in any suitable way. This part of the structure is illustrated in FIG. 4. At their bottom ends the several plates or fins 22 also have outwardly directed extensions, and these extensions 24 are longer than the extensions 23 and are adapted to provide a stable engagement with the floor on which the table 10 of the invention rests.

This inner component 14 is directly surrounded by the endless component 16 which in the illustrated example is of circular configuration. A pivot means formed by a pair of coaxial elongated pins 26 (FIGS. 4) serves to interconnect the components 14 and 16 to support the component 16 for swinging movement with respect to the component 14 about the common axis of the pivot pins 26. For this purpose the component 16 is simply formed with a pair of coaxial, radial bores through which the pins 26 of the pivot means are driven. Diametrically opposed edge regions of the inner section 14 are first provided with holes which form extension of the bores of component 16 which receive the pins 26, and these pins 26 are long enough to extend beyond the component 16 into the component 14, as shown in FIG. 4.

In addition, a releasable holding means is provided for releasably holding the component 16 in its position of use with respect to the stationary component 14 where the component 16 closely surrounds and is situated in the same plane as the component 14. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 5, a detent structure is provided. Thus, the inner stationary section 14 is provided at its periphery with a bore which receives a springpressed detent ball 28, urged outwardly by a spring 30 of the detent structure. At its inner periphery the endless component 16 is formed with a recess 32 which receives the ball 28, so that this detent means shown in FIG. 5 serve to releasably hold the component 16 in its position of use.

The component 18 which closely surrounds the component 16 and is also of a circular configuration is connected to the component 16 by a pivot means made up of a pair of pivot pins one of which is shown in FIG. 6. Thus, as may be seen from FIG. 6 the component is also formed with radial bores for receiving pivot pins 34 which are coaxial at diametrically opposed parts of the ring 16 and which extend into radial bores formed at the ring 18 and extending inwardly from the inner periphery of the latter. A detent means 36 identical with that shown in FIG. 5 and described above interconnects the rings 16 and 18 for releasably holding the ring 18 in its position of use. Thus, the spring-pressed ball assembly of the releasable holding means 36 is carried by the ring 16 at an outer peripheral region thereof while the detent recess is situated at the inner periphery of the ring 18.

This ring 18 is in turn surrounded in the illustrated example by the outer component 20 also in the form of a circular ring. This ring 20 is connected to the ring 18 by way of a pivot means which includes a pair of coaxial pins 38 one of which is visible in FIG. 7. These pins 38 extend through diametrically opposed coaxial bores formed in the ring 20 from the latter into diametrically opposed bores extending partly into the ring 18 from the outer periphery thereof, as shown in FIG. 7. In this case also a releasable holding means is provided for releasably holding the ring 20 in this position of use with respect to the ring 18, and this releasable holding means also takes the form of a detent structure which is shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the detent structure which forms the releasable holding means 40 includes the spring-pressed ball assembly carried by the ring 18 at its outer periphery with the ball extending into a recess situated at the inner periphery of the ring 20. This construction is illustrated in FIG. 6 and is identical with the releasable holding means shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

Thus, it will be seen that in the illustrated example the several releasable holding means are capable of releasably holding the several components in the common plane illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, providing the table 10 with its position of use. The force with which the spring-pressed balls extend into the recesses is sufficiently great to reliably maintain the tabletop 12 in its illustrated position of use. However, whenever desired the operator can push downwardly on the ring 20 at a part thereof situated between the pivots 38 to swing the ring 20 about the axis formed by the coaxial pivots 28. In the same way the ring 18 can be pressed downwardly to swing about the pivot axis formed by the pins 34 which are carried by the ring 16, and the ring 16 can easily be swung about the stationary section 14 by way of the pivot means formed by the pins 26. It will be noted that the common axis formed by the pins 26 is angularly displaced from the common axis formed by the pins 34 and this latter common axis is in turn angularly displaced with respect to the common axis formed by the pins 38. For example, the several pivot axes for the several swingable components may be angularly displaced one with respect to the other by 60 when the parts have the position shown in FIG. 3.

As a result, when the table is not to be used it is a simple matter for the operator to swing the several endless components 16, 18, and 20 respectively into different planes, all of which are different from the plane occupied by the stationary horizontal section 14. The frictional resistance to turning provided by way of the several pivot pins is sufiiciently great to maintain the several swingable components in any desired angular position such as that illustrated in FIG. I. As is apparent from FIG. 1, when the table 10 is placed in its position of nonuse it is highly decorative because of the different planes occupied by the several swingable rings, respectively. On the other hand, when it is desired to make use of the table it is a simple matter to quickly retum all of the swingable components to their position of use where they closely surround each other and are in the same plane as the section 14. At this time the releasable holding means fonned by the several detent assemblies will simply snap into their holding positions as shown in FIGS. 5-7, respectively.

Thus, with this simple inexpensive construction, the table can be readily placed in its position of use shown in FIGS. 2

and 3. On the other hand, it can also be quickly and easily placed in its position of nonuse, such as the position shown in FIG. 1, and in this latter position the table does not provide an invitation for articles to be deposited thereon. Moreover, an exceedingly decorative appearance is provided for the table.

Of course, many variations are possible. The several components of the tabletop need not be circular. They may be oval, rectangular, or have any other desired polygonal configuration. Furthermore, the column 22 may be made in a pair of upper and lower sections connected to each other by a balland-socket joint which can be manipulated to fix these column sections at any desired angular position with respect to each other to provide a further decorative appearance for the table when it is in its position of nonuse. Also, instead of detent structures to form the releasable holding means it is possible to use vertical fins supported for slidable vertical movement by the column 22 and capable of being raised to positions engaging and extending across the lower surfaces of the several components of the tabletop to maintain them in their position of use. These fins can be lowered in order to release the several tabletop components for swinging movement to the position of nonuse. Also, if desired, linkages such as those used in umbrellas may be used for releasably holding the components of the tabletop in their position of use.

What I claim is:

1. In a table, a tabletop comprising a plurality of components closely surrounding one another and located in a common plane when in a position of use, said components including an inner stationary section and a plurality of endless sections extending around one another and said inner section when in said position of use, and a plurality of pivot means interconnecting said components with one another for swinging movement one with respect to the next about predetermined axes, respectively, each component having with respect to the component which it surrounds a pivot axis different from the pivot axis which each component has with respect to the next outer component by which it is surrounded, so that the several endless components can be swung one with respect to the next to selected angular positions of nonuse.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a support means supports said inner stationary section at a given elevation while the remaining components are each supported by the next inner component and each support the next outer component.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein a releasable holding means releasably holds said components in said position of use.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said pivot means provides for each pair of adjoining components a turning axis one with respect to the other which is different from any other turning axis provided by said pivot means.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner section has a circular periphery and the remaining components are of circular configuration.

6. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said releasable holding means is in the form of a releasable detent structure interconnecting each pair of adjoining components.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said plurality of pivot means provide between adjoining components a frictional resistance to turning sufficiently great to maintain the components in any selected positions of nonuse where the several components are respectively situated in different planes.

8. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said support means which supports said inner section includes a column having a top end fixed to said inner section and a base fixed to the bottom of and carrying said column.

9. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said column of said support means is made up of a plurality of plates and radiating from a common axis and having vertical inner edges joined to each other each plate having an upper extension extending along and engaging said inne r s edtioriah d a lower extension longer than said upper extension and forming part of said base. 

1. In a table, a tabletop comprising a plurality of components closely surrounding one another and located in a common plane when in a position of use, said components including an inner stationary section and a plurality of endless sections extending around one another and said inner section when in said position of use, and a plurality of pivot means interconnecting said components with one anotheR for swinging movement one with respect to the next about predetermined axes, respectively, each component having with respect to the component which it surrounds a pivot axis different from the pivot axis which each component has with respect to the next outer component by which it is surrounded, so that the several endless components can be swung one with respect to the next to selected angular positions of nonuse.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a support means supports said inner stationary section at a given elevation while the remaining components are each supported by the next inner component and each support the next outer component.
 3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein a releasable holding means releasably holds said components in said position of use.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said pivot means provides for each pair of adjoining components a turning axis one with respect to the other which is different from any other turning axis provided by said pivot means.
 5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said inner section has a circular periphery and the remaining components are of circular configuration.
 6. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said releasable holding means is in the form of a releasable detent structure interconnecting each pair of adjoining components.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said plurality of pivot means provide between adjoining components a frictional resistance to turning sufficiently great to maintain the components in any selected positions of nonuse where the several components are respectively situated in different planes.
 8. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said support means which supports said inner section includes a column having a top end fixed to said inner section and a base fixed to the bottom of and carrying said column.
 9. The combination of claim 8 and wherein said column of said support means is made up of a plurality of plates and radiating from a common axis and having vertical inner edges joined to each other each plate having an upper extension extending along and engaging said inner section and a lower extension longer than said upper extension and forming part of said base. 